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BIBLE SEARCH 


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BIBLE SEARCH 


A Manual of Suggestions for Profitable Study 
for Busy People 


OUTLINES FOR PROGRESSIVE STUDY 


Issued by 

The Bible Search and Gospel Extension 
Bureau 


THE WINONA PUBLISHING CO. 

195 State Street, Chicago 


Winona Lake, Ind. 







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THE LIBRARY OF 

CONGRESS, 
Two Cw>t«s ReoEtvtft 

NOV f3 1903 

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CONTENTS 


By Way of Introduction - - - 7 

A Warning - io 

How to Study the Bible - - - 17 

Practical Suggestions - - - 17 

Topical Study - - - - - 17 

Word Study ----- 19 

Biographical Study - - - - 20 

Chapter Study - 21 

Study by Books - - - - 23 

Devotional Study - - - 25 

Recording the Results of One’s Study - 26 

Progressive Bible Course; Junior Series - 29 

Progressive Bible Course; Young People’s 

Series - - - - 41 

Chapter Summary Study - 67 

The Study of Books in Wholes - - 70 

Classes for Study - - - -. 7 2 

The Office of Bible Secretary 


73 




BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION. 


The Book of God, as we see it in the world every 
day, as we recognize its influence upon the lives and 
hearts of human beings, forces one great question upon 
the mind and conscience of each individual, “What has 
the Book for me?” 

We need not look very far to see that the Bible 
today stands alone. No other book is to be compared 
with it. Take in your hand any other volume that the 
world’s book shelf may present to you and study its 
authors, how long time was required to produce it and 
what it brings to pass in human character, and you will 
see that there is but one Bible. Any other book that 
we take up has been written within the compass of a few 
years, hardly one taking as much as acentury in the writ¬ 
ing. God chose to take sixteen centuries to write the 
sixty-six books of the Bible. His plan was not to 
have one man of one age and of one environment 
write it, but, covering these sixteen centuries, He chose 
more than forty men, no two of them occupying 
identically the same position in the world’s history. 
One was a king upon a throne, with all the power of 
the then civilized world at his command. Another 
was a humble seller of fruit. Another was in the free¬ 
dom and leisure of a country home. Another wrote a 
large part of his important work behind prison bars. 
This variety of characters and circumstances of the 
writers of the Bible would be a most beautiful and 
interesting study. 


7 


8 


Bible Search. 


There are very many such arguments that could 
be used with regard to the Book to show how impos¬ 
sible it is to find any other book even nearly like it. 
Take, for instance, the broad, synthetic view of the 
books of the Bible as a whole: see how convincing the 
truth that the Spirit of God presided in the heart of 
each writer, making the purpose of each and all the 
parts of this great work tell the same sweet story of the 
Father’s love. 

Just as interesting is the study of the Scripture 
from a critical standpoint, taking it up word by word, 
sentence by sentence, studying the remarkable words 
in their relation to each other, the growth of a great 
idea or doctrine as it is found to center round some 
simple word such as may be found in some other book, 
and being ever surprised and delighted at the evidences 
of divinity. No study is more profitable, more pleas¬ 
ing and more necessary to an enlarged and living faith 
than this minute study of God’s greatest work. 

Again, the student can direct his mind to the prac¬ 
tical working of this wonderful book—what it produces 
and grows in the life and character of those who live 
in accordance with its blessed precepts. No other 
writing is so clearly adapted to the growth and develop¬ 
ment of character into the likeness of the blessed Son 
of God as this one which foretells His life and later 
writes His history. 

The world never knew a time when the practical 
working of the Scripture was so carefully studied and 
when the evidences of its divine origin were so clearly 
brought before one’s mind as is done today. Why should 
the great railroad corporations keep putting money into 
the preaching of the gospel? Because the road that 
makes such an investment can and does declare a 


Introduction. 


9 


better dividend on its stock when its employes have a 
character modeled after that laid down in the blessed 
precepts of the book. We find that corporation after 
corporation is taking money out of the treasury before 
declaring any per cent, of profits to see to it that the 
Word of God is preached to the employes, insuring 
faithful and profitable service. Those who have here¬ 
tofore been unbelievers in the truth of the Scriptures 
have now yielded their assent to its divine origin 
simply because of its practical working. Notwith¬ 
standing this fact, there is a great and crying need 
today for better Bible study. The church member who 
expects his soul to be fed by simply hearing the pastor 
speak fifty-two days in a year will be poor and needy 
at the end of that time. There must be individual and 
personal study of this great Book or there will be no 
growth and no advancement in divine life. 

The purpose of this little volume is to suggest 
some lines of Bible study. Whether those herein out¬ 
lined shall be followed or not; if some other more or 
even less valuable shall be followed as a result of hav¬ 
ing come in contact with this little volume, our pur¬ 
pose will be fully accomplished. If, by any word of 
persuasion, suggestion, or even of provoking, the study 
of the pages of this blessed Book shall be taken up, 
the author will feel more than compensated. Just in 
the beginning, let us say very emphatically that no 
method will prove a good one or a clear and helpful 
one without the aid, instruction and guidance of the 
Holy Spirit. He wrote this Book and He alone can 
explain its great and precious truths. Begin with 
prayer and end with petition that He may preside over 
your heart in the study of the Book as well as in the 
application of His words to every day life. 


A WARNING. 

Below will be found some suggestions with regard 
to Bible study, but before entering upon this phase of 
our work, let a clear note of warning be sounded, not 
to depend upon any method to do for us that which 
can be accomplished only by the direct touch of the 
heart and life with the Great Source of all life. Any 
method of gardening cannot help the branch if it is 
dissevered from the vine. After all, we cannot afford 
to forget that we come to the Scripture to supply a 
great hungry need. The Scripture is a rich storehouse 
of soul food, and while it may be very profitable for us 
to talk about the preparation of this food and how to 
get it out of the storehouse, yet the hunger for the 
food and the proper digesting of it after it is taken, is 
the great and important matter. 

Very many fanciful methods of Bible study have 
been suggested, and many of them, we fear, lead one 
away from his consciousness of need and do more to 
quiet the conscience than to supply the need. Some 
one has said that great blessing will follow the study 
of the Scripture with the w’s: the “when,” the “why,” 
the “what;” to keep in mind “when” a thing occurred, 
“why” it occurred, and “what” it was after it occurred. 
This method has in it a measure of profit, but its real 
benefit will not be felt until we can ask the question, 
“What does it mean for me?” Another suggests that 
the Scripture should be studied in the P’s and D’s: 
the “Parallels,” the “Persons,” the “Places,” the 
“Dates,” “Doctrines,” “Doings” and “Duties.” But 


io 


Introduction. 


11 


after all, this will be found to be but vain and useless 
if we come to the Word without faith in its abundant 
provision, a consciousness of our need and a prayer 
that it may be supplied. To have, however, a con¬ 
sciousness of our need is not all that is necessary, for 
we may then mistreat the Word. 

The Bible is not a conjurer’s book, such as we can 
go to and open without meditation or prayer and 
expect our eyes to light upon the very verse that 
should supply our need. Such mechanical trifles as 
the breaking of the binding or the former treatment of 
the book may cause it to open at one special place, 
and not because God intended that we should open it 
just there in a careless, haphazard way, and with a 
profane haste that our wants should be satisfied. It 
cannot be denied, however, that in very many instances 
God has chosen, for He is Sovereign, to give remarka¬ 
ble light and comfort to many of His children in 
moments of great trial and anguish on the first open¬ 
ing of the book. 

A very devout medical missionary had just entered 
upon his duties in a foreign land. A patient had come 
for an operation. The missionary recognized his dan¬ 
ger and knew perfectly well that the mob on the out¬ 
side of his office would take his life if the operation 
were not successful. Kneeling in his private office he 
asked God for help, and, to assure him of His presence, 
that He would give him some clear message from His 
Word. After rising from his knees, the missionary 
opened his Bible and his eyes fell at once on Isaiah 
41:13: “Fori the Lord thy God will hold thy right 
hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” 
The operation was a success, and he praises God for 
answering his prayer at that moment, 


12 


Bible Search. 


Another remarkable instance may be given of a 
minister who was just leaving his room after some time 
spent in prayer to go to the bedside of his wife and 
speak some few words of comfort before she entered 
the operating room. He asked that some special word 
of Scripture might be given her to stay her heart and 
mind as she went into that room of trial and blood. 
On opening the Scripture his eyes fell at once upon 
Romans 15:13: “Now the God of hope fill you with all 
joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in 
hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” The 
wife recovered, and they rejoiced at that answer to 
prayer. 

It is not, then, that God cannot answer prayer in 
this seemingly chance opening of the Bible, but that 
it would be unreasonable to expect Him to do so when 
every opportunity is given for a more thorough study 
of the blessed Word. 

The Bible is a sealed book to one who approaches 
it without faith in the Author of this blessed volume. 
God expects us to prepare for times of need before the 
exigencies come upon us; to take the Bible and 
familiarize ourselves with it in such a way as to be able 
to look to that special place where the need of the 
hour will be most certainly supplied. Marshall, 
in his “ Methods of Bible Study and Teaching,” on 
pages 62 and 63, would be in place just here. “Do not 
attempt to learn every chapter in the Bible first, but 
select those most helpful in daily life-. The following 
are suggestive, but you had better select your own: 


Gen. 3. 

Lev. 16. 

Ps. 22 and 69. 


Fall. 

Atonement. 
The Cross. 


Compare 
Christ in Mat. 4. 
Heb. 9. 

The Gospels. 


Introduction. 


13 


Ps. 23, 

The Shepherd Ps. John 10. 

Ps.51. 

The Penitent’s 

Ps. Luke 15:11-32. 

Jer. 3. 

Backsliders. 

Gal. 3. 

John 3. 

New Birth. 

1 Pet. 1123. 

John 4. 

Water of Life. 

Rev. 22:17. 

John 6. 

Bread. 

Ex. 16. 

1 Cor. 13. 

Love. 

1 John 4. 

Heb. 11. 

Faith. 

Rom. 4. 


“Familiarize yourself with the Scripture so that you 
will know where to go for that which you need.” 

“When your faith is weak read the ‘Faith’ chapter. 

“When losing your hold, read the ‘Courage’ chap¬ 
ter. 

“If hungry, read the ‘Bread’ chapter. 

“If self is exalted, read the ‘Charity’ chapter. 

“If growing cold, read 1st John. 

“If full of praise, read the last three Psalms. 

“If a careless Christian worker, read Ezk. 34. 

“If life seems to be gloomy, get a sight of your 
‘mansion’ in the city of God. John 14; Rev. 21 and 22.” 

“You cannot show man his real self unless you 
use the Scriptures.” 

The most crushing blow the self-life ever receives 
is when it sees God. But how can God produce con¬ 
viction by the Word if one does not know the Word? 
This, then, brings us to the first argument on the 
Scripture. 

“A lady once said at the close of a meeting on 
Bible study, ‘I don’t see how it is that other people 
understand the Bible and I do not.’ The question was 
asked her, ‘How often do you read your Bible?’ She 
replied, ‘Well, my eyesight is not very good,’ and then, 
with some little embarrassment, ‘I think I read it 
about once a month.’” 


14 


Bible Search. 


I think it was Prof. Charles Thwing of the Western 
Reserve University, who several years ago tested a 
number of his students on their knowledge of the 
Scripture. The result was amazing for young men 
who had come from Christian homes. One young 
man was asked what animal in the Bible it was that 
spoke. His answer was that it was a whale. “Then,” 
said the professor, “what did it say?” The student 
blandly replied with that famous passage, “Almost 
thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” Again the 
professor asked, “How many wives had Abraham?” 
The student answered, “He had two. One was named 
Hagar and one Ishmael. He kept one and the other 
turned to a pillar of salt.” But the ignorance of the 
letter of the Scripture is not the most lamentable of 
all that we could contemplate. It is the ignorance of 
the spirit of the Word and of God’s gracious provi¬ 
sion there for the supply of every demand of the 
human heart and life. He who knows us far better 
than we know ourselves has said, “Search the Scrip¬ 
tures.” “Come unto me all ye that labor and are 
heavy laden and I will give you rest.” 


HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE 






























HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE. 

Practical Suggestions. 

If one were called upon to state in a word how to 
study the Bible for greatest profit, he might reply, 
“In that particular way that will satisfy the student’s 
present need.” 

But this would be to reply in general terms, and 
the student may want more specific direction. It is 
safe to say that one usually becomes interested in 
Bible study by beginning at the point where he is most 
certain to find something worth while to reward his 
search. Instead of commencing with an elaborate 
historical study which will discourage him from the 
start, let him commence with some of the richer por¬ 
tions of the Word of God, and when his interest has 
increased, it may be safe to put upon it the strain of 
more laborious work. 

Observation reveals that there are many ways in 
which the Scripture first comes to the individual with 
power. Perhaps more have been given their first 
impulse through topical study than in any other way. 
At any rate, the method is simple and will be first 
considered. 

Topical Study. 

Perhaps few forms of study are more easily abused 
than this one, and it must therefore be stated at the 
beginning that the student should come to the Book 
to learn what the Book teaches rather than to find his 
own preconceptions reinforced. 

l 7 


18 


Bible Search. 


How shall we study topically? Has the convic¬ 
tion been forced upon us that we are weak in our 
preparation to speak with men effectively on the ques¬ 
tion of the gravity of sin? 

A STUDY OF SIN. 

Let us recall a first passage regarding sin. Per¬ 
haps it will be “The Wages of Sin is death.” Rom. 
6:23. 

Our first passage then tells us what is the penalty 
for sin. Shall we find others on the same line? By 
looking up the marginal references we shall find 
that death has been the penalty for sin from the 
beginning. Gen. 3:3; Ezk. 18:4, last clause; Jas. 
1:13-15. 

How did it come into the world? By one man. Gen. 
3:6, 7; with Rom. 5:12. 

How many have sinned? All. See Rom. 3:9-20, 23. 

Is there no help then for the sinner? He may be 
saved by faith. Rom. 3:21-28. He is saved by grace 
through faith. Eph. 2:8. 

After one has been saved from sin , what should be his 
relation to it? Going back to our first passage, and 
reading the entire chapter from which it is taken, 
Romans 6, we have very clearly defined what our atti¬ 
tude toward sin should be. We should reckon our¬ 
selves dead to it, out from under its bondage and with 
its claims upon us annulled. 

Has the practical effect of Christ’s death been to 
deliver us in this way from sin? 

We may make other divisions of the subject such 
as these, “What is sin?” “What results came upon 
the earth as well as upon man for his sin?” etc. 

A great help to topical study is a thorough con- 


Word Study. 


19 


cordance. Topical text books are made up of topical 
Bible studies already arranged. It is best for the 
student to work out his own results so far as he can do 
so, and then supplement them with these more 
exhaustive treatises. 

It is well to group one’s topical study around such 
prominent passages as may be most readily retained. 
A brief summary of the study of sin might be remem¬ 
bered easily with the following passages to mark the 
chief truths. 

All have sinned. Rom. 3:23. 

The wages of sin is death. Rom. 6:23. 

The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 
Isa. 53:6. 

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to 
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unright¬ 
eousness. I John 1:9. 

This method of study may be extended to other 
essentials of the Christian life. One may search out 
what are the scriptural answers to the objections com¬ 
monly made against becoming a Christian. This study 
is commonly called training for personal work, and 
classes for pursuing it are called “Workers’ Bible Train¬ 
ing Classes.” Very many strong workers owe the 
beginnings of their success as soul winners to the start 
gained in such classes. 

Word Study. 

A phase of Topical study is Word study. It 
should be remembered that all the prominent doctrines 
of Scripture center round certain words. The words 
often are the expressions of figures used. For 
instance, if we study Repentance, we must get the 
conception of a change of mind which involves a 


20 


Bible Search. 


change of conduct. If we study the Spiritual birth, 
we must remember that the terms used are drawn from 
the figure or the fact of the natural birth. If we 
study Redemption, we must get in mind a market 
place and the thought of purchase. If we study Conver¬ 
sion, we must remember that it means turning. A 
great aid in such study is a concordance like Strong’s 
or Young’s, by which even the English reader will find 
himself able to study the meanings of the original 
words, even though they maybe translated in a variety 
of ways. 

Biographical Study. 

A most interesting form of study is that of the lives 
of the leading Bible Characters. The history of Joseph 
is one of the most romantic in literature. Let the stu¬ 
dent study the wooing and winning of Rachel, the 
mother of Joseph, by his father Jacob. The marriage 
is recorded in Genesis 29. The birth of Joseph is 
noted in the next chapter. His history is definitely 
resumed in chapter 37, and from this point to the end 
of Genesis, Joseph is the most prominent figure. 

Special study might be made of (1) his character, 
(2) turning points in his career, (3) his weaknesses, 
(4) his providential place in God’s plan, (5) his rela¬ 
tion to Moses, (6) the probable effect of his high 
morality upon all other generations of young men, 
(7) Joseph as a type. 

It is stated that in the Egyptian part of the story 
of Joseph are over two hundred points of correspond¬ 
ence with Egyptian conditions. 

The life of Moses is one for similar study. The 
transcendent part he played in the history of Israel 
makes a knowledge of his life essential if one is to 
understand the life of the nation itself. 


21 


Biographical Study. 

Biographical study may well be occupied with all 
the leading characters of the Old and New Testaments. 
Let the student master the meteoric career of Elijah; 
let him compare it with that of his successor, Elisha; 
let him grow large and patriotic and statesmanlike as 
he comes in sympathy with the great heart and mind 
of Jeremiah; let him become acquainted with Peter, 
with John, yes, even with Thomas; let him study long 
that Saul of Tarsus who becomes the mighty Paul of 
Antioch and Ephesus and Philippi and Corinth and 
Jerusalem and Caesarea and Rome. Above all, let him 
study the life, the death, the resurrection and ascension 
of the Lord. 

With a knowledge of the history of the following 
characters, one has a knowledge of the essentials of 
the Bible story: 

Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, 
Joseph, Moses, Gideon, Samson, Samuel, David Solo¬ 
mon, Jeroboam I., Ahab, Hezekiah, Josiah, Isaiah, 
Amos, Jeremiah, Daniel, Nehemiah, Ezra, John the 
Baptist, Jesus of Nazareth, Peter, Paul, John. 

Chapter Study. 

Chapter study may be pursued in various ways. 
Some of these ways are closely related to Book study 
or are a part of such study, and will be considered 
under that head. Here will be considered 

FAVORITE CHAPTER STUDY. 

Without attempting any complete analysis of the 
book in which the chapter is found, one can study the 
favorite chapter until he has its contents firmly fixed 
in his possession. 

Everyone is familiar with the great spiritual chap¬ 
ters of John’s Gospel. Among these, the 14th, 15th, 


22 


Bible Search. 


16th and 17th are most prominent, and are favorites 
with all Bible lovers. To many, the fifteenth is known 
as “the Abide Chapter.” Names may be assigned to 
the others. As an example of minute Chapter study, 
we may take the seventeenth chapter. 

John ij. Jesus' Prayer for His own. First, read the 
chapter through thoughtfully'. Read it again more 
rapidly, noting the greater subjects that come before 
the Master’s mind. 

Read it again, observing the simplicity of the 
words but the greatness of the truths they embody. 

Study these words. For instance: “Glory, Glorify ,” 
“Give, Gave , Given!' Eighteen occurrences in the 
chapter. Find the things that are given. 

The Believer's Relation to the World. The word 
world occurs eighteen times in this chapter according 
to the Revised Version, and nineteen according to 
King James’. The word so translated is the Greek 
word cosmos. From a study of the word in this chap¬ 
ter one can learn what should be the attitude of the 
believer to the world. 

Knowledge of great Truths. The word know occurs 
nine times in six verses, and the things known or 
unknown are of great weight. 

Jesus' intercession for His own. This chapter is the 
sublimest example of intercession. The specific 
requests made of the Father by Jesus are contained in 
verses 9, 11, 15, 17, 20, 21, 24. The leading petitions 
are simple, but sublime in their import. 

Keep them in Thy name. 

Keep them from the evil. 

Sanctify them in the truth. 

That they all may be one, that the world may 
believe. 


23 


Synthetic Study. 

That where I am, they also may be with me; that 
they may behold my glory. 

CHAPTER SUMMARY STUDY. 

Another form of Chapter study from which excel¬ 
lent results are obtained is Chapter Summary study. 
Books are taken up one at a time, and each chapter is 
searched to find the 

Chapter Name, 

Leading Lesson, 

Best Verse, 

Principal Persons. 

Blanks are obtainable for conveniently recording 
each item as it is settled upon. The act of searching 
the chapter until intelligent judgment can be given 
upon each point has a tendency of itself to perma¬ 
nently lodge the truths in the mind. It is not expected 
that all students will arrive at the same conclusions 
either as to matter or statement, but the similarity of 
results reached by independent students is often strik¬ 
ing. This method is further illustrated upon pages 70-73. 

Study by Books, or Synthetic Study. 

The study of an entire book at once is perhaps 
among the more difficult of the methods to be men¬ 
tioned. There are phases, however, of such study that 
may be most profitably enjoyed by students of any 
degree of proficiency. The constant emphasis in such 
study is upon the frequent reading of the book itself. 
Dr. James M. Gray, who has so greatly popularized 
this study, names five rules for success in it. 

1. Read the Book. 

2. Read it continuously. 

3. Read it repeatedly. 


24 


Bible Search. 


4. Read it independently. 

5. Read it prayerfully. 

The method in short is simply this: gaining a 
knowledge of a book by becoming perfectly familar 
with its contents; and this by the simple process 
of frequent reading of it as a whole or in large por¬ 
tions. 

The chapters of a book should receive names 
from which the contents may at any time be recalled. 

A further application of this method may be made 
to the paragraphs of chapters. In the division of the 
material into paragraphs, the R. V. is much to be pre¬ 
ferred to the A. V. Even in the Revision, however, 
several subjects may occupy the same paragraph and 
the student will be wise to follow his own analysis. 
For example: 


OUTLINE OF I PETER. 

Chapter I. Living Hope. 

Salutation, 1, 2. 

Living hope of eternal inheritance, 3-5. 

Faith, now tested, to be approved at Jesus’ com¬ 
ing, 6-9, 

This salvation an object for wonder to prophets 
and angels, 10-12. 

Holiness springs from this hope, 13-16. 

Conduct becoming in those who are redeemed 
with the precious blood, begotten through the Word, 
17-25. 

This analysis by paragraphs may be made of the 
other chapters. Here, however, we suggest only chap¬ 
ter names. 

Chapter II. Living Stone. 

Chapter III. Godly Living. 


25 


Devotional Study. 

Chapter IV. Partaking of Suffering. 

Chapter V. Partaking of Glory. 

In studying a book, it should be the design of the 
student to understand the purpose for which it was 
written. To this end, he should know as much as pos¬ 
sible of the conditions among those written to, —what 
were their particular temptations moral and theo¬ 
logical. What heresies are combatted, what tenden¬ 
cies checked, what positive teachings emphasized. 
There is a certain “flavor” about the various books. 
One skilled in discrimination will be able to locate in 
a general way portions of which he may not be able to 
recall the exact position. 

Devotional Study. 

All study of the Bible that is done from a right 
standpoint is reverent, and may thus be said to be 
devotional, but there is a kind of study which bears 
immediately and directly upon the spiritual life In 
the spirit of prayer, one may search, for example, 
through the Epistles looking for “The Messages of the 
Book to Me.” Very rich things should reward such a 
search. 

The more definite the need felt by the student, the 
more certain will be the supply of the need. Often the 
Bible will be taken up at random and its pages scanned 
for the needed word of help. Remembering that every 
spiritual blessing is given to the Christian in Christ, 
whenever a promise is clearly made to faith, it should 
be seized upon and verified in the experience. 

Scripture may be turned into prayer. Many of the 
Psalms are in the form of prayer, and will frequently be 
found on the lips of one deeply filled with the Word. 


26 


Bible Search. 


Again, with the open book before one’s eyes, he may 
turn Scripture into prayer. 

Recording the Results of One’s Study. 

It is a wise rule to fix in some permanent way each 
new fact or truth that is gained in the course of one’s 
Bible study. The memory is above all places the most 
desirable in which to fix truth, and the first effort 
should be to lodge the new-found nugget there. There 
are various ways of doing this. Dr. W. W. White urges 
that one “pass it on” at his first opportunity. This 
may be at the breakfast table or in the conversation 
with a friend, or in a letter. The telling of the fact 
makes the details clearer to one’s own mind and is 
likely to bring a blessing to someone else. 

But our memories are accustomed to the use of 
aids. We need “memory pegs” upon which to hang 
things. The first and most natural thing to do is to 
write down what we have found. And the most con¬ 
venient place in which to have the record is the margin 
of one’s Bible. Here may be written brief summaries 
of paragraphs, chapter names, short Bible readings, 
suggestive words or phrases, and occasionally a choice 
quotation. 

But there is room in one’s Bible for only a small 
portion of the results of his study. He should have a 
Bible note book, or a system adapted to his methods 
of work,—something in short that will be usable, con¬ 
venient, orderly and permanent. A variety of methods 
are suggested for such records. 


PROGRESSIVE BIBLE COURSE 

Junior Series. 


















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PROGRESSIVE BIBLE COURSE. 

Junior Scries. 

Lesson L Find in the Bible five things that the 
Bible is or is like. For instance, Fire, Hammer. Jer. 
23:29. Write them here, and the place where you found 
them. 


Find five things that the Bible is called. For 
instance, Thy Words, Thy Word. Jer. 15:16. 

Write them here and the place where found. 


This lesson will be easy if you look for answers 
in the longest Psalm. 


Lesson IL Think of the very best verse that you 
2 9 


30 


Bible Search. 


can remember. Find this in the Bible, or find some 
other verse that you believe is as good. Write it down 
here and the place where you found it, and be able to 
repeat the verse and the passage at the next meeting 
of your class. 


What verses would be your second and third 
choices? 


Lesson III. Find the prayer that Jesus taught His 
disciples, usually called “The Lord’s Prayer.” It is in 
the sixth chapter of Matthew. Find it, if you can, in 
another place, and write both references here. 


Are you sure that you know the prayer? If not, 
learn it as given in Matthew. (Of course you will use 
the word “debt” or the word “trespass” as may be the 
habit in your church or home.) 


3L 


Course for Juniors. 

Lesson IV. Do you know “The Golden Rule”? 
Find it in Mat. 7:12. Write it out here. 


Do you think that anyone can really keep it unless 
he has first given himself to Christ and is daily led by 
Him? 


Lesson V'. Do you know whether it is Matthew, 
Mark, Luke or John who tells about Jesus visiting the 
Temple when he was twelve years old? Find out for 
yourself and write down where the story is found. 
You will need to look through only the first two 
chapters of the books. 


Read the story over till you can tell it in your own 
words. 


Lesson VI. Without turning to it, see if you can 
repeat the 23d Psalm, the Shepherd Psalm, as it is 
called. 

Now turn to the Psalm and find out where you 


32 


Bible Search. 


may have made any mistakes. If you do not know it 
correctly, learn it. 


Lesson VII. Do you know the books of the Bible? 
If not, turn to the list of books as given in the front of 
your Bible. Read over the list in the Old Testament 
twice. How many are there? 

Read over the list of the New Testament books 
twice. How many are there? In the whole 

Bible? 


Have some one ask you where different books are 
found, that is, in the O. T. or in the N. T., and see how 
many you get right and how many you get wrong. 


Lesson VIII. Take a sheet of paper and lay your 
right hand flat upon it with the palm down and the 
fingers separated. Now with the left hand draw the 
outline of the right by running a pencil around the 
hand and fingers. When you look at the picture with 
the thumb up, it will look like the inside of your left 
hand. 

Now turn to the list of books of the Old Testa¬ 
ment and write the initials of the first five books in 
the thumb of the hand; the initials of the next twelve 
in the first finger, the next five in the next, the next 
five in the next, and the last twelve in the little finger. 
Using the initials if necessary to remind you of the 


Course for Juniors. 33 

names, pronounce them several times aloud. Keep 
the paper. 


Lesson IX. Take the paper prepared under last 
lesson and write opposite the thumb the words Books of 
Moses , or Pentateuch; opposite the first finger, write 
Historical Books; opposite the second, Poetical Books; 
opposite the third, Major Prophets , and opposite the 
little finger, Minor Prophets. Also put down how many 
books there are in each division. 

Repeat these numbers several times aloud, this 
way: “Five, twelve, five, five, twelve.” 

Now see if you can repeat the names of the books 
in the divisions. Say them over aloud until you are 
sure of them. 


Lesson X. Turn to John 14 and read it several 
times. Select from it five verses that you like best 
and write the numbers here. 


Take one of these verses that you want to memo¬ 
rize and write it out here in full. 


34 


Bible Search 


Lesson XL Read I Samuel 17, and find out all 
you can from it and from any other passages you may 
want to look up about David and Goliath. Write out 
the story in your own words and have it ready to show 
to your teacher. 


Lesson XII. Think of all the Bible stories that 
you know, and decide which one you believe tells 
about the bravest act. You can ask your friends about 
it and when you have made up your mind and found 
the story, read it over until you can tell it in your own 
words in class. 

Name of the hero. 

What he did. 


Place found. 


Lesson XIII. How many books of the New Testa¬ 
ment tell about the life of Jesus? Write the names 

here. 


35 


Course for Juniors. 

How many tell about what the disciples did after 
Jesus had gone away? 


How many books are called Epistles of Paul? 
What are they? 


Who wrote the other N. T. books? 


How did men write the Bible? 2 Pet. 1:21. 


Lesson XIV\ Do you know what the first Psalm is 
about? Turn to it and repeat it, if you know it. 

If not, read it over five times, trying hard to learn it. 


Lesson XV, You are used to “bounding” states 
or countries in school. In the same way bound the 
following books of the Bible, writing in the name of 


36 


Bible Search. 


the book that comes before and the one that comes 
after the name printed. If you get a name right 
without looking it up draw a line under it. 

Acts ; 

Psalms 


Exodus ; 

Philippians 


Mark ; 

James 


Isaiah ; 

Judges 


Job ; 

Malachi 



Your teacher may ask you for others. Do a little 
practicing for yourself. 


Lesson XVL A word hunt. How many times is the 
word “believe” used in John 3? In what verses? 

What do you think is the best verse in this 
chapter? Write it out here and learn it if you do 

not know it. 


Lesson XVII. Do you know the “Blesseds” of 
Mat. 5:3-12? These are usually called the Beati- 



37 


Course for Juniors. 

tudes. Make a list of the kind of people that Jesus 
called “blessed.” 


Under which class or classes could you write your 
name? 

What Psalm have you already studied that tells 
about the “blessed man”? 


Lesson XVIII. Acts 16:31 tells howto become a 
Christian. With a reference Bible find other passages 
like this one that tell about believing on Christ for 
salvation. If you do not know how to use the refer¬ 
ences, ask some one to show you. Make up a Bible 
reading of your own on this subject. After you have 
looked up the references given with Acts 16:31, you 
can look up those given with these other passages. Do 
not feel obliged to use all the passages given, but only 
those that bear upon your subject. Write the results 
here. 


38 


Bible Search. 


Lesson XIX. Turn to Hebrews u and make a list 
of all the heroes of faith that are mentioned there. 


Select one name that you know least about and 
read about him in the Old Testament. The references 
will tell you where to look. 

The man’s name. 

What did he do that required faith? 


Where does it tell about him? 


Lesson XX . What do you think is the most inter¬ 
esting thing that Jesus did or said while on earth? 


39 


Course for Juniors. 

Can you tell the story yourself? If not, find it and 
note here where it is. 


What did Jesus do or say? 


What do you yourself learn from this account? 











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PROGRESSIVE BIBLE COURSE 

Young People's Series. 





PROGRESSIVE BIBLE COURSE* 

Young People's Series. 

To the Student: In coming to this study, it is 
assumed that you have already made some progress in 
Bible study, that you have followed the Sunday 
School Lessons, and have perhaps taken other courses. 
It is assumed that you are familiar wit*h the books of 
the Bible and with their location. If this is not true 
concerning you, it would be best for you to learn the 
books very soon, so that the leader need not take time 
from class sessions to teach them. 

HOW TO STUDY FOR GREATEST PROFIT. 

There are different objects with which people 
sometimes enter upon a study of God’s Word. Some 
study for intellectual improvement. 

Some study in order to make a display of their 
Bible knowledge. 

Others study from a sheer sense of duty. 

Still others study that they may apply the truth 
through sermon or exhortation to others. 

Whatever of benefit may arise from any of these 
methods, it is safe to say that no one of them reaches 
the highest objects of Bible study. 

One should first and always study for himself,— 
not selfishly,—but in order to apply the truth first to 
himself. Bible truth needs to be experienced as well as 
perceived. It has been well stated that “the organ of 
spiritual knowledge is obedience.” 

43 


44 


Bible Search. 


Turn to Psalm 63 and read it through. Read it a 
second time, noticing the personal pronouns, “I, thee, 
my, thy,” etc. David in the wilderness of Judah has 
definite needs and comes personally to a personal God 
to have them satisfied. 

Let the student ask himself, “Do I seek God, 
thirst for Him, praise Him, bless Him, remember 
Him, meditate on Him, follow hard after Him?” 

MAKING MEMORANDA. 

“When found, make a note of it.” This familiar 
rule applies to Bible students as well as to others. 
When a new fact in the Bible is found, make a note 
about it in the most natural and convenient place. 
This will usually be the Bible itself. Write carefully, 
neatly, and leave room for later markings. Sometimes 
an underscoring of the emphatic words of a passage 
will be all the marking required. Other suggestions 
are made under “Recording the results of one’s study.” 

When following a course such as this, and space 
is left for inserting answers to questions, etc., see that 
the work in each lesson is thoroughly done. The out¬ 
line itself then becomes a record of the student’s 
faithfulness. 


TWENTY LESSONS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 


LESSON I. THE SPIRIT IN WHICH TO STUDY. 

Read Psalm 119:33-40. 

Notice in these eight verses the eight petitions. 
Notice also the spirit of obedience which breathes 
through them all. The psalmist desires to know God’s 
will that he may do it. 

In commencing this series of studies, let the stu¬ 
dent come to the Book in the spirit of teachableness, 
and with the purpose to obey. 

Things to notice in Psalm 119. 

There are 22 divisions of the Psalm. Each divi¬ 
sion is headed by a letter of the Hebrew alphabet and, 
in the original, every verse in the section commences 
with the letter standing at the head of the section. 

Select from the Psalm five of the choicest verses 
to be marked in your Bible. 

Insert references here. 


What do these verses teach you regarding the 
objects to be sought in Bible study, the spirit of such 
study, the result of study upon the student. State 
here: 


45 


46 


Bible Search. 


LESSON II. SKELETON HISTORY OF THE OLD TESTA¬ 
MENT. 

Take a large sheet of paper, legal cap or foolscap 
will do, and mark it off lengthwise into four equal 
parts each representing a thousand years: this way. 


b. c. 

4,000 


3.ooo 


Da vid 


This will represent the time from Adam to Christ 
according to Ussher’s Chronology, which is printed in 
most reference Bibles. It is not assumed that Arch¬ 
bishop Ussher was right in every case in his chron¬ 
ology, but one is not prepared to do advanced critical 
work until he is acquainted with the most familiar form 
of Bible Chronology. 

Now turn to your Bible and find some prominent 
name that you can place at each of the thousand year 
divisions. For instance, David. (One hundred years 
either way will be near enough in this general divi¬ 
sion. See that you find the man who best represents 
his age.) 

Keep this paper. 








Course for Young People. 47 

LESSON III. A LITTLE MORE HISTORY. 

Take the paper prepared under the last lesson and 
draw a horizontal line upon it about half an inch 
below the upper line, representing the entire time 
covered by the book of Genesis, and mark it so. Half 
an inch lower down, draw another line representing 
the time covered by the other three books of Moses. 
This will of course be much shorter. Half an inch 
lower, draw another line representing the time covered 
by all the other books of the Old Testament. In 
which thousand years were most of the books written? 
A few minutes examination of the dates will furnish 
answers to this question. 

If you have time, draw vertical dotted lines half 
way between the thousand year lines. These will 
•divide the space into 500 year periods. Mark them 
500, 1500, etc. Find the most prominent name to rep¬ 
resent these dates and insert them. 


48 


Bible Search. 

LESSON IV. A LOOK INTO GENESIS. 


Glance through the book and find out in which 
chapters the following events are recorded. You need 
not read the book, but glance through it until you can 
intelligently fill out the items. 

Creation, Chap. ; Fall, ; Birth of Enoch, ; 

The Flood, ; The Confusion of Tongues, ; Call of 

Abram, ; Birth of Isaac, ; Birth of Jacob and 

Esau, ; Jacob wrestling with the Angel, ; Joseph 

Sold into Egypt. ; The Famine, ; Joseph making 
himself known to his brethren. 


The entire book from chapter 12 on is occupied 
with the life of one man and his descendants. Who 
was he? 


49 


Course for Young People. 

LESSON V. PRAYER. 

In Luke li:i, the disciples ask the Lord to teach 
them to pray. He answers by giving them what we 
call the Lord’s prayer, and then He uses certain illus¬ 
trations to enforce the truth that God answers prayer. 
In the parable, did the man get what he asked from 
his unwilling friend? Is God willing or unwilling 

to answer our prayers? 


In the case of the unjust judge given in Luke 
18:1-8, we have an unbelieving, hard-hearted, earthly 
judge contrasted with a loving, tender, heavenly Father. 
The judge answers prayer. Will not God? 

In John 15, find two strong prayer promises. In 
one of these, what conditions are made? 


In John 14:14, what other condition is named? 


And in 1 John 3:22? 

And in 1 John 5:14, 15? 

All these passages seem to be summarized in 
Psalm 37:4. Write it out in full. 


Jer. 33:3 is a strong encouragement to prayer. 


50 


Bible Search. 

LESSON VI. ABOUT DIFFERENT BOOKS. 


In Genesis we have seen how the children of Israel 
came to be in Egypt. How many books tell about 
their going up out of Egypt, wandering in the wilder¬ 
ness, receiving laws from God, etc.? What 

are these books? 

What book tells about the wars of conquest in 
Canaan? 

What book or books tell about the government 
before there was a monarchy established? 

Who was the last prophet to rule as a judge before 
the people had a king? 

What books tell of the beginning of the mon¬ 
archy? 

After Solomon, the kingdom was divided into two 
parts: the first, Judah, with its capital at Jerusalem, 
and the other, Israel, with its capital at Samaria. The 
books of Kings tell about both kingdoms; the books 
of Chronicles, about the kings of Judah. 

Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther belong with the last 
three books of the Old Testament, for they tell of the 
period after the captivities. 

Job is a very early book, dating back to patri¬ 
archal times. 

The Psalms were, many of them, written by David; 
one was written by Moses, and some were written long 
after David. 

The prophets all came during the time covered by 
the books from Kings to Esther. Some wrote before 
the Exiles, some during the Exiles, and some after the 
return from exile. They are not all arranged in 
chronological order. 


Course for Young People. 51 

LESSON VII. PRAYERS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 

Many prayers are recorded in the Old Testament. 
From all of them much may be learned. Almost any 
Teachers’ Bible contains a list. In this study are men¬ 
tioned three prayers. Let the student read them 
and from the number select one for particular study. In 
this special study make notes on the following items: 

Who prays? 

What was the situation, occasion or emergency 
that called out the prayer? 


What may be said about the spirit of the sup¬ 
pliant? 

What mention does he make of God’s promises 
and faithfulness? 


Does he base his hope of answer upon his own or 
his people’s righteousness, or upon the righteousness 
of God? 

Does he get what he asks for? 

In what manner? 

PRAYERS SUGGESTED FOR STUDY. 

Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. 20:6-12. (Read the chap¬ 
ter.) 

Ezra, Ezra 9:6-15. 

Daniel, Daniel 9:3-19. 


52 


Bible Search. 

LESSON VIII. THE TITLES OF CHRIST. 


Scan the book of John to find all the terms that 
are used to designate Jesus Christ or to describe Him. 
For example: i:i, “The Word,” “God;” 1:9, “The 
True Light;” 1:14, “The Only Begotten,” “Full of 
Grace and Truth;” 1:18, “The Only Begotten Son;” 
1:29, “Jesus,” “The Lamb of God,” etc. 


You may make a mental note, as you find these 
names of Christ, of the persons who gave them to Him, 
whether the writer, the friends or the enemies of 
Christ, etc. 

Review the results of your work and try to grasp 
the conception of the Saviour that these different 
appellations give of Him. 


Course for Young People. 53 

LESSON IX. THE LAND OF ISRAEL. 

Read Isa. 62, noting God’s promises to the cities 
and land of Palestine. 

Read also Joel 2:18-21. 

The student already has an idea of the geography 
of the Holy Land. This may be fairly accurate or it 
may be far from accurate. To test the matter, before 
looking at a map, take a sheet of paper and draw a 
map of the land from memory, indicating the posi¬ 
tion of the Mediterranean Sea, the Sea of Galilee, the 
Dead Sea, Jerusalem and Samaria. On a much smaller 
scale, draw as well as you can an outline of the 
Mediterranean Sea; locate the position of the Red 
Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Caspian and Black seas, and 
the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. It is not asked that 
an elaborate map be drawn, but something like a dia¬ 
gram to show the different locations. The student 
need not fear exposing his ignorance, for none but his 
own eyes need see the outline. When you have drawn 
these outlines, compare them with a map and discover 
where you are wrong. Now draw a fresh outline with 
the map before you. Preserve this. 


54 Bible Search. 

LESSON X. WHAT JESUS BELIEVED ABOUT HIMSELF. 


How early in his life did Jesus know His mission? 
Read Luke 2:41-52. 

What did he claim to be in John 4:25, 26? 


And in Mark 14:61,62? 


And in John 8:12? 


And in John 9:35-37? 


And in John 14:6? 


What did He say in His prayer to the Father in 
John 17, about His glory before He came to this 
world? 


What of His glory now? See the same chapter 
and also Hebrews 1; Col. 1:15-19; Phil. 2:5-11. 


Course for Young People. 


55 


LESSON XI. FAVORITE CHAPTERS. 

Indicate what are your favorite chapters in the 
following books and, if practicable, why they are your 
favorites: 

Proverbs. 


Psalms. 


Isaiah. 


Matthew. 


John. 


Acts. 


Romans. 


i Corinthians. 


Ephesians. 


56 


Bible Search. 


LESSON XII. WHAT JESUS BELIEVED ABOUT SIN AND 
SALVATION. 

Read Mat. 5 and answer the following questions: 
Did Jesus have a high standard of righteousness? 


Was this higher and more exacting than that of 
Moses, or less so? 

Did He hold out any hope that one could attain 
to such righteousness apart from Himself? 

Is righteousness a matter of observances or of 
heart attitude? Luke 18:9-14. 

The Lord here does not say that the Publican was 
as righteous a man as the Pharisee, but He says that 
he went away from his worship justified. The Pharisee 
did not. (It is worth noting that the Publican used a 
word for “Be merciful to me,” that involves the truth 
of the atonement, “Be propitiated to me, the sinner.”) 

In His interview with Nicodemus in John 3, how 
does Jesus emphasize that “good people” need to be 
saved? 

How necessary to salvation did Jesus think belief 
in Himself to be? John 8:24. 

John 10:7-18. 


John 14:6. 


57 


Course for Young People. 

LESSON XIII. PAUL. 

Think of all that you now know about the Apostle 
Paul; if you have time write a little essay about him, 
giving all the information you can. If you haven’t 
time for this, fill out the items in the following list 
that you can from memory, and the remainder from 
looking through the book of Acts. 

Name by which he is first mentioned, 

Birthplace, City, Province, 

Educational advantages, 

Religious training, 

Member of which Jewish sect or party? 

Character; was he positive or otherwise? 
intense? energetic? tender? 

Other characteristics. 

In what chapter is his conversion first recounted? 

In what chapters are his three great addresses 
before rulers given? 

How many epistles are credited to him? 

How many places can you remember that were 
visited by him? 


58 


Bible Search. 


LESSON XIV. THE MANNER OF PAUL'S PREACHING. 

Read i Thes. i, noticing the things for which Paul 
gives thanks, and how complete was the transforma¬ 
tion wrought by the Gospel as indicated in verse 9. 

Read the second chapter. 

In this notice particularly (1) the manner of the 
preaching and (2) the way in which the Gospel was 
received. 

Note the things that were absent from the preach¬ 
ing and the things that were present. Make lists of 
them and leave room for additions. 


In verses 13-16, the way in which the Gospel was 
received is given. 

Turn now to I Cor., chapters 1 and 2, and see what 
items you can add to the lists made above describing 
the manner of Paul’s preaching. 

If you have time, turn to the 15th chapter and 
learn in the first few verses the elements of the Gospel 
which he preached. The remainder of the chapter is 
given to an elaboration of the truth of the resurrection. 


50 


Course for Young People. 

LESSON XV. CHARGES TO TIMOTHY. 

Look through the book of 2 Timothy and mark 
the special exhortations given there. For example: 
i:6, “Stir up the gift of God.” 1:8, “Be not ashamed, 
therefore,” etc. 

These charges may be marked in your Bible in 
any preferred way- your own way. The following are 
suggested as suitable methods: I. Retrace with a 
pen as neatly as possible the letters composing 
the emphatic words. (Such as those given above.) 

2. Some prefer simply to underscore the words. 

3. Others would mark with a number the exhortations 
as they come in order. This may be done in addition to 
either of the other methods, if desired. Such a study 
as this will give to the student an excellent outline for 
a talk at some religious service. 


60 


Bible Search. 

LESSON XVI. A SHORT STUDY OF TITUS. 

Read verses 1-4. What was it that God promised 
before the world began? 


What was it with which Paul was entrusted accord¬ 
ing to the commandment of God? 

Read verses 5-16. What business was entrusted 
by Paul to Titus in Crete? 


Did Titus have very promising material to work 
with? 

Read chapter 2:1-10. 

What different classes of people are mentioned 
in this passage? 

Read 2:11-15. 

What is it that has appeared to all men or that brings 
salvation to all men? 


Emphasize this in your own mind. It is not God’s 
law, nor His judgments, but His free, unmerited grace 
that has appeared. 

What does it teach us to deny? 


How does it teach us to live? 


61 


Course for Young People. 

What does it teach us to look for? 


Why did Jesus give Himself for us? 


Has He done these things in our own experi¬ 
ence? 

Should the Christian worker speak with authority? 


Read chapter 3:1-7. What attitude towards 
others is described here in the first three verses? 


In verses 4 to 7 the truth seems more emphatically 
stated in the Revised Version than in the Authorized. 
If you have it use this version here. 

Read these four verses several times and mark the 
most important truths in your Bible. 

Read 3:8-15. 

A group of verses that will bear much emphasis 
appears in each chapter as follows: 1:1-4; 2:11-15; 
3:4-7. Be sure that the truth of these is clearly seen. 


62 Bible Search. 

LESSON XVII. WHAT IS IT TO BE A CHRISTIAN ? 


In this study it is designed that practically all of 
the work should be done by the student. Only the 
general divisions of the subject are given. Endeavor 
to make a clear statement from the Scriptures of the 
essential matters under each head. 

What is it to be a Christian? 

First. To Become One. 

Need for a change in men. Man’s condition by 
nature. 


How the sinner becomes a child of God. 


Second. How to maintai?i the Spiritual Life. 


Third. Relatiotiships with Men. 
With Christians. 


With non-Christians. 


Course for Young People. 63 

LESSON XVIII. JESUS, THE MESSIAH, THE DELIVERER, 
THE KING. 

The coming Deliverer was foretold by Isaiah and 
the other prophets. In these great prophecies, His 
first coming and His second coming are not clearly 
marked off from one another, and the whole messianic 
time is seen by the prophet as one period. Jesus, 
when He was on earth, distinguished the prophecies 
that related to Him as He then was from those that 
describe Him in future power and glory. He is one 
day to be a judge, but while on earth He said, “For 
God sent not the Son into the world to judge the 
world; but that the world should be saved through Him.” 
John 3:17, R. V. 

When Jesus was reading from Isa. 61 that day in 
the synagogue at Nazareth, He was of so “quick 
understanding” (Isa. 11:3) that He closed the book in 
the middle of verse two because so many centuries 
were to intervene between the first and the last parts 
of the verse. See the opening verses of Isa. 61, and 
compare Luke 4:16-24. 

Perhaps to us the most familiar chapter in Isaiah 
is the fifty-third, because it so clearly describes the 
humiliation and sacrificial death of our Lord. This 
part we understand because we have seen it fulfilled. 
If you cannot recall the chapter clearly, turn to it and 
refresh your mind. Memorize the 6th verse. 


Read Isa. 61:3-11 and learn some of the things 
that are yet to be accomplished. 


64 


Bible Search. 


Zechariah tells about two occasions that both have 
to do, as we now know, with Jesus and the Mount of 
Olives. Zech. 9:9 and Zech. 14:4-9. Which of these 
does the Christian Church make much of? and which 
is more apt to be overlooked, or to be remembered 
chiefly by the Jews? 


In all our Bible study, let us try to carry out the 
spirit of 2 Tim. 2:15, and divide the Word of Truth 
rightly. 

Find as many other prophecies in the O. T. as you 
have time for that tell of Christ. 


65 


Course for Young People. 

LESSON XIX. RESURRECTION. 

Read Luke 24 and rapidly scan John 20 and 21. 
How many times was Jesus’ resurrection made 
certain to His disciples in these chapters? 


Were they looking for Him? or were they inclined 
to doubt? 

Does this weaken or strengthen their testimony? 

Did the resurrection form a large or a small part 
of the preaching of the early disciples? 

Find at least one place where Peter preached of 
the resurrection; another where Paul did. 

What did Christ’s resurrection declare Him to be? 
Rom. 1:4. 

Is this fact of His resurrection an important one 
to us? 1 Cor. 15:17; 1 Pet. 1:3. 


What chapter of the Bible (already mentioned) is 
known as the Resurrection Chapter? 


Read this through as many times as you can and 
find how large a part of the Gospel this truth 
forms. (You will notice that the gospel preached by 
Paul is outlined in this chapter.) 

Read of two different resurrections in Rev. 20. 


66 


Bible Search. 


LESSON XX. JUDGMENT. 

All Scripture testifies that men are accountable to 
God for their deeds. Just principles are laid down to 
govern men’s action. Disobedience involves penalty. 
This must be true if God is the moral governor of this 
world. In spite of all the warnings given by Him, all 
men have sinned, and therefore are under judgment 
except as they have accepted God’s provision for sal¬ 
vation. Men may have the choice of meeting all their 
sins and being judged for them, or of accepting the 
way of escape that God provided when He caused all 
sin to meet on the head of Christ. Isa. 53:6. In 
other words, men may receive a gift, the gift of Eternal 
Life, or they may accept the wages earned, which will 
be death. Rom. 6:23. Their very acceptance of the 
gift involves an attitude on their part and an action on 
God’s part which brings them into harmony with Him. 
If they will not accept of the provision made for them 
at so infinite a cost, God will still be righteous and just, 
but must judge if He is righteous. 

Those who reject Christ are judged already. 
John 3:18, 19. 

God’s wrath rests upon them. John 3:36. 

It is different with believers. Their judgment is 
also past, so far as their sins are.concerned. John 5:24. 
They will, however, be judged as to the matter of their 
works. 2 Cor. 5:9, 10; 1 Cor. 3:10-15; Mat. 16:27. 

Read Rev. 20. This chapter is very full of teach¬ 
ing. Notice what is said of the reigning ones in verses 
4 to 6. Notice also the solemn teaching concerning 
“the rest of the dead,” the unbelieving dead, in verses 
11 to 15. 


L. of C. 


STUDY BY CHAPTERS AND 

BY BOOKS 







































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CHAPTER SUMMARY STUDY. 


PURPOSE. 

The purpose of Chapter Summary study is to 
make the student familiar with the contents of each 
chapter studied, and to record the results of the study 
in such form that they can readily be recalled. The 
method is very simple. It consists principally in a 
reading of the chapters. 

WHAT TO LOOK FOR. 

The student is to look for a name for the chapter, 
a lesson from it, the best verses in it, and the principal 
persons mentioned. 


HOW TO STUDY. 

Having selected the book for study, read the first 
chapter as though you had never seen it before. This 
point of view will give added pleasure to the reading. 
Next, glance through the chapter again, trying to 
recall the contents of a paragraph at a time. Note 
down the most prominent subjects found and weigh 
them thoughtfully. Select from them the one that 
best gives the idea of the chapter, and state it in the 
fewest words possible. Insert this on the Search Leaf 
under “Name of Chapter.” 

After this it will be easy to determine what is the 
“Leading Lesson.” This may be very different from 
the thought given under “Name of Chapter” (as in the 
diagram shown below) or it may be very similar. By 
“Leading Lesson” is meant the largest spiritual or 
moral teaching to be gotten from the chapter. 

69 


70 


Bible Search. 


As you have been scanning the chapter, certain 
verses have impressed you as the strongest. Find one 
of these that best expresses the message of the chapter 
and write it down under Key Verse. Select a verse 
which seems to you the most desirable for memorizing 
and write it down under “Memory Verse.” Perhaps 
this will be the same as the Key Verse, but it may be 
different. Some mark these verses in their Bibles with 
the form of a key for the former and a star for the 
latter. 

It will now be a simple matter to note down the 
persons most prominently mentioned in the chapter. 
Below is an illustration of the method with Matthew I, 
as the subject for study. 

BIBLE SEARCH LEAF 

CHAPTER SUMMARY STUDY 


Book 

Date 3 Date finished 


Chap. 

Name of 

Chapter 

Leading 

Lesson 

- 

Best 

Verses 

Principal 

Persons 

/ 



Verse 





/ 





Mem¬ 

ory 




At I 

Verse 

2 ./ 










Key 

Verse 
















71 


Chapter Summary Study. 

As will be clearly seen, the study was commenced 
on June 6, ’03. The book is Matthew and, in the 
judgment of the compiler, the most suitable name 
for the chapter is “Generation of Jesus Christ.” 
Some might prefer simply “Genealogy,” or “Genera¬ 
tion.” The leading lesson is “Emmanuel Jesus; God 
with us to save from sin.” The key verse (from 
which the chapter name in this case is taken) is verse 
I. The most suitable verse for memorizing is verse 
21, and the most prominent persons are those given 
in the list. 

(Search leaves in this convenient form for use 
and for carrying temporarily in the Bible may be 
obtained of the publishers. A manila cover accom¬ 
panies them, with full instructions for use, and, when 
the studies are completed, the leaves are bound per¬ 
manently in the cover.) 

A thorough application of this method of study 
to the principal books of the Bible, with due care to 
lodge the results of the study in the memory will go 
far toward giving that working knowledge of the 
book itself which every earnest Christian ought to 
seek. 

An honored Bible teacher was called upon unex¬ 
pectedly to take another speaker’s place at an import¬ 
ant service, no less than the dedication of a church. 
With no time for special preparation, he sat down in 
his room and, with heart lifted for direction in the 
choice of his message, thought through the Bible until 
he came to Ephesians where he found the exact thing 
needed for his address. 


THE STUDY OF BOOKS IN WHOLES. 


SYNTHETIC STUDY. 

In the early pages of this book, some of the prin¬ 
ciples of synthetic study are laid down. The reader 
is referred to these. There is a form of this study 
specially designed to give a knowledge of the general 
features of a book. In this study, minute details are 
omitted and only outstanding features are considered. 
The effort is to arrive at the purpose which the book 
was designed to accomplish. This can be discovered 
only by studying it in perspective with other books. 

In the form of study of which the accompanying 
diagram is an illustration, the items to be covered are 
as follows: It will be noted that the Book chosen as 
an example is Matthew. In the first narrow column 
is entered the general division of the Scriptures into 
which the book falls,—namely the New Testament. 

In the next column is noted that the name 
Matthew means in the original “Gift of Jehovah.” The 
way in which Christ appears in the book is as the One 
who historically fulfills prophecy. The verse which 
most nearly indicates the scope of the entire book is 
thought to be 27:37. The best verse in the sense of 
the choicest verse for memorizing is thought to be 
11:28. The key-thought in this case is very parallel to 
the matter named in another column, namely, “Christ, 
the Messianic King of the Jews.” The key-word is 
thought to be “Kingdom”; the key-phrase, “Kingdom 
of Heaven,” and a very prominent word “Fulfilled.” 

The same general method of study can be applied 
with varying results to the other books of the Bible. 

It is a law of the mind that it desires to see things 
in wholes. When the complete view has been given, 
the relationships of details are much more clearly seen. 
If the student will successfully study the books in their 

72 


Study of Books in Wholes. 


73 


larger outlines, he will come to a more analytic study 
with a keener zest and a much more definite under¬ 
standing. 

There is a sense in which the Bible can never be 
mastered, but there is also another sense of limited 
mastery which earnest students will try to gain. 

It is not supposed that the complete results of 
synthetic study can be tabulated in the condensed 
form given in the blank, but enough may be indicated 
there to aid the memory in retaining certain prominent 
things. 

BIBLE SEARCH LEAF 

KEYS TO THE BOOKS 


Date begun . Date finished 


Gen’l 

Div. 

of 

Scrip. 

Book: Meaning 
of'the Name 

Christ 
Typically 
Prophetically 
or Historically 

Best 

Verses 

Key Thought 

Key 

Word&Phrase 

Prominent 

Word 

nf 


t 

Key 

Verse 

37/37 

Mem¬ 

ory 

Verse 



?7]oaJC 


Key 

Verse 


• 




















CLASSES FOR STUDY. 

The Sunday School has become a marvelous 
agency in promoting Bible knowledge. The leaders 
in this movement are always far in advance of the 
average practice among churches, and they are con¬ 
tinually emphasizing better methods. 

There is a limitation, however, upon the work pos¬ 
sible during the Sunday School hour, and many 
churches are finding that independent classes meeting 
on some evening of the week can do most valuable 
work. Special courses such as those suggested in this 
book, and many others, are available for such work. 
In every church there should be a class for the train¬ 
ing of personal workers; that is, for the teaching of the 
ordinary lay church member how to win men one by 
one to Christ. This kind of study is fascinating and 
exceedingly profitable. 

Interest in all the courses suggested in this book 
will be much greater if the study is engaged in by 
classes. An intelligent leader will compare the results 
reached by the various students, make suggestions, 
stimulate to further study and crystalize the whole in 
a way to make the net gain from the study much more 
permanent. 

This leader of the class should be a person of 
special fitness for the work. He need not himself be 
a man of great knowledge of the Book, but should be 
a student and should bring to the class the enthusiasm 
of fresh discovery. He should not lecture, nor preach; 
but should draw out from the class, not their own 
opinions, but what they have found on the subject in 
hand from the book itself. 


74 


THE OFFICE OF BIBLE SECRETARY. 

It is true that in every church the pastor is the one 
who stands under the greatest responsibility for enlist¬ 
ing the members of the church in definite Bible study. 
But the pastor is a busy man and needs aid in the 
matter of attention to details. On this account, it is 
found that a person specially appointed to promote 
the Bible study interests of the church can be of very 
great service. This person, who is called the Bible 
Secretary, has a wide field for usefulness. 

THINGS TO BE DONE BY THE BIBLE SECRETARY. 

The Secretary should in every way try to bring it 
about that each member of the congregation and of 
the Sunday School shall have his or her own Bible. 
This should be of clear type, convenient size for carry¬ 
ing and so well bound as to stand constant use for 
years. 

The Secretary should try to bring about a more 
general interest throughout the church in the work of 
the Sunday School. This may be done partly through 
co-operation in the work of the Home Department. 

Classes for the study of special courses outside the 
regular Sunday School lessons should be organized. 
Some such courses are suggested in this book. Bible 
Training classes for fitting individuals to do effective 
work with other individuals should be started. 

The Secretary may emphasize the “Morning 
Watch” as closely related to one’s personal Bible 
study, and perhaps as the most central thing in the 
spiritual life. 


75 


76 


Bible Search. 


A most effective way of arousing interest through¬ 
out the community in Bible truth is to arrange public 
gatherings for this purpose. These may be in the 
form of Bible Conferences of several days’ duration at 
which strong addresses and expositions shall be given 
by visiting speakers. 

Bible Institutes of a week or ten days, conducted 
by one or more teachers of ability, will always prove 
of great help to any church, and may be undertaken 
profitably at almost any time of the year. If held at 
the beginning of the term of special study, they will, 
better than anything else, arouse interest in the work 
to be done. 

The Bible Secretary should be the one above all 
others to encourage progressive work in the Sunday 
School and church. The methods used in the primary 
classes should be promptly dropped for more advanced 
methods as the pupil progresses in his work. He 
should be made to feel that real proficiency is 
expected of him. All tendencies to “talk down” to 
the smallest members of the school should be dis¬ 
couraged in the general exercises of the school. What 
will interest the self-respecting boy of fifteen will also 
interest the younger child, but anything approaching 
prattle will soon alienate the older members of the 
school. Many have already been alienated, and the 
problem of the Bible Secretary will be to again engage 
their interest in systematic study. 


















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